French Company of the West
Indies, and of the governor appointed to rule over them; at other times
they undertook excursions quite independently. They fairly succeeded in
making themselves masters of Cape France. Before long they seem to have
reached some agreement with the British authorities of Jamaica, to
combine for concerted action against Spain, and they began to terrorize
the population of the Spanish possessions by sending out piratical
expeditions that kept the people on the coasts in constant fear for
their life and property.

The work entitled "Pirates of America" contains a wealth of facts
concerning the corsairs sent out by these French and British settlements
and the many other buccaneers and filibusters that harassed the people
of the Spanish colonies. Among them is the story of the famous pirate
Lolonois, also known as Francisco Nau and el Olones, whose descent upon
Cuba during the administration of Governor Salamanca has all the
elements of a thrilling though gruesome melodrama. Lolonois had been in
Campeche and was supposed to have perished in one of his forays. But in
reality he had made his escape and reached Tortuga, where he was able to
arm himself anew. He reached the northern part of Cuba at a small
trading town, los Cayo, which he intended to rob of its stores of
tobacco, sugar and skins. Some fisherman recognized him and hurried to
Havana with the news that Lolonois had arrived with two boats and was
planning a raid. The governor doubted, having been assured of his death
at Campeche, but urged by the entreaties of the men, he sent against him
a vessel with ten pieces of artillery and ninety armed men. Their order
was not to return until the pirate horde was annihilated; every one of
them was to be hung, except Lolonois who was to be brought to Havana
alive.

The pirates somehow were fully informed of the expedition against them
and awaited the arrival of the vessel in the Riviera estera where it was
to anchor. They terrorized some poor fisherfolk into showing them the
entrance to the port, hoping there to find better boats than their own
canoes. They reached the war-ship at two o'clock in the morning and were
asked by the sentinel whence they came and whether they had seen any
pirates. They made a prisoner answer for them, that they had not seen
any, and the sentinel saw no cause for alarm. At day-break the Cubans
found out their mistake; for the pirates began to attack them from all
sides w